I’ve been decorating cakes for 24 years, so have seen many changes in styles and techniques in that time. Cake decorating, like most crafts, is constantly evolving. New ideas, products and materials come and go however many of the basics remain the same. The internet is an amazing resource that we cake decorators all use, however the plethora of information out there can mean that finding suitable answers to burning cake questions may be a bit hit and miss. I was therefore delighted to be asked by Cake Masters Magazine to be their February 2015 Cake Expert. Here are the questions that I was asked, with my answers in full below, I hope you find them useful….

Q: What is the best kind of glue to use? Some people just use water – is that enough?
A: For most of my cake decorating I just use water but I also use gum glue, let down modelling paste, royal icing and sometimes even nothing at all! It really depends on the moisture content of what you are trying to stick together. To stick decorations to the top of a recently iced cake, previously boiled water is quite sufficient. On the other hand the simplest way of sticking dried decorations to the side of a firm cake is to use dots of fast drying royal icing. My advice is to start with water and if you need something a little stronger opt for gum glue and if that is still tricky try royal icing.

Q: Do you use sugar syrup to keep your cakes moist?
A: Only very occasionally when I want to use it to add an additional flavour to a baked cake! I know many cake makers use sugar syrups on all their cakes, but as surprising as it may seem, I don’t have a very sweet tooth so I prefer my cakes not to be overly sweet. Yes sugar syrup can add moisture to a cake but there are plenty of other healthier and less sweet alternatives. I prefer to add ingredients when baking that help increase the cakes moisture content examples include ground nuts such as almonds, fruits and vegetables such as pineapples and carrots or simply glycerine which is hydroscopic.

Q: What is the best way to fix a stencil to the side of a cake?
A: Adding a stencil to a side of a cake can be challenging and I’ve noticed that people are using various methods for this. I tend to either add the stencilled pattern directly to the side of a cake using royal icing and a side fixing kit (Lindy’s Cakes sell these online!) or I stencil a strip of modelling paste with edible dusts or royal icing and then attaching this to the side of a cake. Which I choose depends on the results I wish to achieve and the stencil pattern itself. If for example I wrap a stencil around the side of a cake and sections of the design stick out, the best policy is to stencil a modelling paste strip. Generally the larger the diameter of the cake the easier it is to stencil directly onto the cake itself.

Q: Why do I sometimes get a jagged edge when using flower cutters?
A: This a perennial problem and a pet hate of mine!! Various factors come into play here, the cutting edge of the cutter, the paste being used and the technique being applied. The most important factor however is the cutter itself. Sugarcraft cutters come in all shapes and sizes and are manufactured from either plastic or metal. My advise is to buy the best you can afford, cheap imitation plastic cutters from China, that are flooding into the market at the moment, are cheap for a reason! Try and buy cutters from well known reputable sugarcraft brands. I personally prefer stainless steel cutters, which is why all my own cutter designs are manufactured from Stainless steel. Stainless steel cutters are easy to care for, they don’t rust like tin plate cutters and most importantly they have fantastically sharp cutting edges. When cutting out shapes be sure to press down firmly onto your work board. For some cutters you will also need to give them a little wiggle as well. For more intricate shapes the best results are often obtained by placing the paste on top of the cutter and rolling over it with a rolling pin.

Q: How far in advance can you make a cake?
A: This depends entirely on the recipe you are using. Some cakes are best eaten on the day they are baked whilst others improve on keeping. For decorated cakes I like to give myself time, I hate being rushed, so I always opt for cakes that I know will keep such as Chocolate fudge cakes, orange and poppy seed cakes or of course fail safe Madeira’s, which can be flavoured in a myriad of ways and be kept for up to 2 weeks. All the cake recipes I include in my cake decorating books are suitable for baking in advance – I believe that it’s very important that a decorated cake tastes as good as it looks!

Q: Is Swiss meringue buttercream really better than “normal” buttercream
A: It really depends on what you are trying to achieve. I love using Swiss meringue buttercream, it is smooth and silky and a lot less sweet than standard buttercream, ideal as a topping for an elegant cupcake. However Swiss meringue buttercream takes longer to prepare so I use a standard buttercream recipe when I am using buttercream as a glue to stick sugarpaste to a sponge cake and Swiss Meringue when I want to be a little more creative. When choosing which to use also bear in mind that Swiss Meringue buttercream doesn’t hold up well in high temperatures, so it’s no good on a hot summer day!!

Event City, near the Trafford Centre in Manchester is where it’s all happening this weekend! For cake lovers, or more precisely those of us that like to decorate our cakes it is definitely the place be. I love Cake International Exhibitions and have exhibited at Manchester since it started a few years ago. This year, as well as demonstrating in the demonstration theatres, I’ll also be up on the large… Continue reading

Are you a Tweeter? I love Twitter and have been part of the Twittersphere since 2009. There is something very charming about saying what you want to say in only 140 characters, whether this be what you are currently doing, a nugget of information or an inspirational quote. Twitter is full of fascinating people to follow and is a fantastic resource when you want to ask a question… Continue reading

Over the years that I’ve been teaching and demonstrating cake decorating, I have appeared on various TV shows but yesterday was my first appearance on Create and Craft TV. Create and Craft is a TV channel dedicated to all things craft, so when I heard that they wanted to feature my new ‘Mini Cakes Academy‘ book… Continue reading

I had the privileged last week of being streamed live on the internet as part of the CakeFu Masters Webinar Series. CakeFu is a US company and a CakeFu Master is “someone recognized for excellence in their abilities to create cakes that outshine the competition. From well-known bakeries, to TV personalities, published authors, competition winners, and more, these masters are truly the “best of… Continue reading

My business, Lindy’s Cakes, came into being when my children were very small. At the time my husband had been made redundant so I made a decision to try and make a living from a hobby I was passionate about, cake decorating. I can’t say the road has been easy but it has been a thoroughly enjoyable journey. I never dreamt when I started that cakes would take me right… Continue reading

I was recently leafing through back issues of Cupcake Heaven magazine, on the look out for recipes, when I stumbled across a feature about last years Autumn Cupcake Challenge. It had completely slipped my mind that I had helped judge this competition! As you can tell from the photos it was very hot last September, but what I remember most about the event was not the heat but… Continue reading

When you spend quite a lot of time teaching, as I do, it’s a real treat to be a student occasionally. Yesterday I went on a fascinating painting course, I thoroughly enjoyed the class and the teacher was very knowledgeable. However sometimes during the day, I did feel as if I was back ‘at school’ and would get into trouble for not doing quite what was required! As a creative… Continue reading

Here at Lindy’s Cakes we are asked questions all the time and interestingly we receive many more questions about baking then we ever do about cake decorating!! Now I love baking and have been baking for as long as I can remember, but I know that many of you are very new to this fascinating science and often need a little help and guidance. I therefore thought I’d share a… Continue reading

This morning I was up bright and early to drive north to BBC Radio Shropshire’s studio in Shrewsbury to be interviewed live on the Breakfast show. I love talking about my cakes, so it was a delight and a pleasure to answer Eric Smith’s questions on Shropshire Breakfast.

I love creating cakes and books that are a little different but still appeal. Over the years I have developed a style, which I am told is very recognisable, obviously not absolutely everyone’s cup of tea, but is one that has proved very popular. Books take a huge about of effort to plan, develop, create and write so I always love hearing what you have to say about my finished… Continue reading

To some I am a ‘name’ in cake decorating, to others I am a cake ‘celebrity’ but to me, I am someone who adores what I do, educating and inspiring others. My books are extremely popular and have been translated into many languages, which is wonderful and means that I sometimes get asked to do more than just teach classes and demonstrate sugarcraft techniques.